Yodel generated the worst results, with just 18% describing their service as ‘great’, 25% as ‘OK’ and a very high 57% as ‘poor’.

Overall, more than 11,350 people took part in the poll on Martyn Lewis’ well-known website to find the best (and worst) parcel delivery firms. Conducted just after the Christmas and January Sales peak, the poll asked people to rate the performance of all the major UK delivery firms, based on their own experiences with each company over the past year.

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, says: “We live in the age of delivery, yet service levels from some firms are dire. They don’t ring the doorbell, parcels are misdelivered, they’re left in bins or under cars – and it leaves many grinding their teeth in frustration.

“Part of the problem is that we usually have no choice about the delivery firm used, as the retailer we buy from decides it. Worse, we have no relationship with the delivery firm as the retailer is their employer.”

The results come just ahead of next week’s The Delivery Conference in London where senior executives from the big carriers will discuss the 2016 peak season and their plans for 2017.

Dwain McDonald, DPD UK’s CEO commented: “When over 11,000 people are voting, just after your busiest time of year, and you come top by a mile, you have to step back and say “We’re clearly doing something right”! But being DPD, we won’t be resting on these or any other laurels for long. Parcel delivery is a tough, tough industry and we will have to be at the top of our game again in 2017.

“We’re number one because we continually invest and innovate. We work with the best businesses and retailers in the UK, and our aim is to keep coming up with new ideas and services that keep us one step ahead of everyone else. Delivering a great service comes down to a lot of different things – our people, our technology, our infrastructure – and we have to get these things right, over and over again.”

He added: “Winning the Money Saving Expert poll by such a big margin is a fantastic endorsement of our service and our people. Everyone in the organisation has contributed enormously over the last year, but once again, I’d like to dedicate this achievement to our drivers who hit their one-hour delivery slots day after day after day. It’s that level of consistency throughout the company that customers really appreciate.”
Source: DPD UK, Money Saving Expert, CEP-Research